Kaduna State Police Command says it will deploy about 11,000 personnels for the upcoming Local government polls scheduled to hold on 4th September in order to ensure a hitch free exercise.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mudassiru Abdullahi disclosed this in Kaduna during the signing of a peace accord with stakeholders, political party leaders and chairmanship aspirants.
The ten political parties that signed the peace accord includes; the All Progressives Congress APC, African Democratic Congress, ADC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM respectively.
Others are, the All progressives Grand Allaince, APGA, Labour Party, LP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, Young Progressives Party, YPP and the People’s Redemption Party, PRP.
CP Abdullahi who appreciated all the stateholders for gracing the important occasion of the peace accord said, it is the integral part of the electoral process particularly in Kaduna state.
“We shall all attest to the fact that the state is currently going through some security challenges which resulted into the closure of some schools in the state, hence, we cannot afford to go into this election to create more tension in Kaduna”, he stressed.
According to him, the council election is a legitimate contest between various political parties and their respective candidates that is supervised by the State Independent Electoral Commission, SIECOM.
“The Commission can attest to the deployment made by the Command during the adhoc staff training session and the coverage of the campaign rallies of all the political parties”.
He urged all the stakeholders to play the game by the rules, as the electoral body that is responsible for providing a level playing field for all the political parties has made all necessary arrangements to ensure the mandate of the majority is protected.
The CP advised all political parties and their supporters to ensure peaceful electoral exercise, devoid of any form of harassment, intimidation, molestation or violence against any person or properties before, during and after the forthcoming election.
“We are ready to go into the election prepared to safeguard lives and properties of all citizens before, during and after the election”,he emphasized.
Abdullahi confirmed that he has directed his officers and men to ensure that they conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of extant laws and regulations guiding their conducts during elections.
He charged them to deal decisively with any person or group who may try to truncate the peaceful election process.
Free and credible election
In her remarks, the SIECOM Chairperson, Mrs Saratu Audu-Dikko pleaded with the political parties and Kaduna residents to join forces in making the election free, fair and credible.
She said violence in a democratic set up is totally unnecessary, hence, the need to allow the will of the people to prevail.
Emmanuel Ukoh
